Gresham police arrest man, seek woman in 2005 arson attempt

Gresham police have arrested a 31-year-old man and are looking for a 27-year-old woman accused in an attempt to set fire to a state Department of Human Services building in 2005 with Molotov cocktails.

Police say that Marlene Yvonne Chenette became angry about losing parental rights and threatened state workers. Then, on Nov. 24, 2005, someone threw two Molotov cocktails through a window, but they failed to ignite the building, located at 335 Northwest Division Street.

Gresham police arrested Christopher Lee Coopersmith on March 26 and a Multnomah County grand jury indicted both on charges of first-degree attempted arson.